Susan's NGTAW Blog: Durres, Albania - Where I Was Princess of the Sea Cloud

The port of Durres, Albania

Friday, July 8 - Trip Day 9

We arrived in the port of Durres this morning about 7 AM, escorted to our docking space by the pilot boat. Durres is the main industrial and agricultural port in Albania; its largest port. As such, it's very industrial in its look and feel - large cranes line all of the docks. The ones next to where we're docked are old and rusted. As such, the port has some interesting charm in its reality.

Michael and I went to the dining room around 7:30 and I lingered over two iced lattes. I had decided I would skip the tour today and spend the day relaxing and writing. It's much cooler today - by a good 15 degrees, as a weather front went through last night.

A busy industrial port, the cranes line all the docks, ready to off-load cargo ships

A huge car ferry joins one that's already docked, and a cargo ship being off-loaded

Busses at the port to take our group to Kruje, the old capital of Albania

Just me and the empty lido deck. Where should I sit?

Everyone has departed from the port on our tour busses, and I'm sitting out on the open air Lido deck. I am missing a bus trip to the ancient capital of Kruje, with a visit to the medieval market and ethnographic museum. Michael promised he would take photos.

I'm enjoying the solitude, watching the crew do their chores and listening to the sounds of the dock workers using their tools to repair a part of the cement dock. It's interesting to have some solitude on the ship; to imagine what is was like when it was a private yacht with owners and guests in the 1930's - when it was new and private yachting was a big deal.

There are lots of interesting things going on around us in the port. The pilot boat just escorted a large ferry into its docking location - next to two equally large ferries already parked. The pilot boat then came up and docked at our stern. On the other side, cargo containers are being off loaded from a ship called the Spirit of Chennai, based in Madeira. The cranes swing over the ship to pick up the container and then send it over to the dock and load it onto a waiting flat bed truck

Great place to write, read and enjoy my morning

Watching the port activities - a third gargantuan car ferry arrives

It's been a fun day. This whole beautiful ship to myself (well, except for 50+ crew). I feel like the Princess of the Sea Cloud. I worked for a few hours up on the lido deck. By about mid-morning, Simon asked me if I wanted lunch - and would I like a nice Caesar salad? Why yes please! And at about 12:30, a staff person knocked on my door and invited me to the dining room. My own private lunch - how nice! I could get used to this....